


The Greatest Wish

by omaomae



Series: Mending Hearts [5]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, Happy Birthday Akko!, Happy Birthday Diana!, Hurt/Comfort, OC is just Diana's dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-04-30 02:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14487048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omaomae/pseuds/omaomae
Summary: A birthday is a special event for each specific person. It only happens once a year, marking a new beginning in the chronicle of one’s life. How do a certain pair of little witches spend this special day?





	1. Finding Happiness Once More (with you by my side)

**Author's Note:**

> As serious as the summary sounds, I don’t actually celebrate my birthday in any special way. I just go out to eat with family and/or friends. I lost that birthday spirit after my tenth birthday was a botch lol.
> 
> This technically takes place after _Heart of Steel_ and its (as of now) nonexistent sequel. Therefore, Diakko is an established pairing, Diana is alive, her father (Arthur) is dead, there is no evil Witch of Corruption, and Diana has all of the anguish that a girl her age should never have.
> 
> I guess you can read this without having read any of my previous stories, though this does serve as a continuation in the “Mending Hearts” series. Just know that Diana’s other side of the family is a family of knights. Oh, and that Diana has a lot of sadness when it comes to her family and anything regarding her childhood. So nothing new, right? XD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko tries to plan the perfect birthday for Diana. Turns out, she didn’t have to think so hard. After all, when was the last time Diana looked forward to her own birthday anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I would like to dedicate this oneshot to the character who owns my heart and soul for the past… year actually wow. So happy birthday, Diana Cavendish. I cannot promise that I’ll spare you anymore pain, but I do hope you continue to fuel my motivation to write.
> 
> Well, maybe not too much. I really do need to prep for grad school stuff…

It is a beautiful, spring day. The sun is shining and the sky is clear save for a few white clouds decorating the blue. The soft breeze feels cool against the skin. It isn't too humid, nor too dry. The birds are singing with a few spirits, the crops are watered, and everything is fine. Everything is clear. There is absolutely  _nothing_ wrong. Everything is great!

"It's going to be  _WHAT_?!"

Of course, there is always an exception when it comes to Atsuko Kagari.

Hannah and Barbara, for one, are completely unamused.

"You didn't know?" Barbara asks with her arms crossed over her chest. "How do you not know? You're her  _girlfriend_!"

"Well it's not like these things just come up! And Diana doesn't talk about herself a lot! You two should know this!" Akko argues.

Hannah scoffs. "Still, you'd think her  _girlfriend_  would know this. Diana's been talking about  _your_ birthday since the new school year started."

"As much as we love Diana, it's getting annoying to hear her mumbling to herself at her desk about planning the 'perfect birthday date' or something along those lines," Barbara says.

"Sometimes I think Diana forgets we can hear her."

"Oh, I don't think it's just sometimes."

Akko butts in before the two can continue their discussion and ignore her. "Wait, so April 30th. That's Diana's birthday."

"Yes, Akko. How many times do we have to repeat it?" Barbara sighs.

Hannah rolls her eyes."Geez, how many times do we have to say it for you to understand?"

Akko groans. "Alright, alright, I get it. I'm a terrible friend and girlfriend. You don't have to be gremlins about it."

"WHAT DID YOU CALL-"

Akko ignores their outbursts. "So what are you two getting for Diana?"

Hannah clicks her tongue. "Nuh uh. You can't cheat by asking other people. Your present has to be genuine."

"Oh come on, I'm just asking!"

Barbara shakes her head. "Since you already forgot about her birthday-"

"I keep telling you that I didn't know at all! How is that my fault?!"

"-then you have to think of your own present."

"I  _can_ think of my own present! I'm her girlfriend; of course I know what to get Diana!" Akko crosses her arms over her chest, lifting her chin up to snort. "I was just asking to make sure I get something better than you guys."

Hannah nods without believing a single word. "Uh huh. Okay. Yeah, sure."

"Then we'll leave you to find the  _perfect_ gift," Barbara teases. "Good luck!"

"Toodles!"

With their business done, Hannah and Barbara continue on their way. Akko watches them go with a scowl before stomping off with an annoyed huff.

"Stupid snooty busy-bodies," Akko grumbles to herself as she stalks through the corridors. "Just because they're Diana's roommates doesn't mean they can shove their oh-so great knowledge down my throat! I'm her girlfriend! I bet I know a lot of stuff that they don't. Like how Diana makes that cute little crinkle when she's asleep. Or how she actually likes to hold people but won't admit it. And there's that one time she refused to admit she had no idea how to use a blu ray player. And-"

Akko stops in the middle of the hallway. Her tirade halts for about two seconds before she throws her hands up to her head and groans.

"Great, now I'm talking to myself. Why does anything that has to do with Diana have to drive me insane?"

Her continuous grumbling doesn't help considering the passing students stare at her even more after this outburst. But Akko pays them no mind and stomps the rest of the way back to her room.

Akko throws open the door to her bedroom, startling Lotte but Sucy doesn't even bat an eyelid at her desk. Lotte looks up from the book she is reading on her bed.

"Welcome back, Akko," Lotte greets. "Did you return the books you needed to?"

Akko's sour mood lifts a bit thanks to Lotte's cheerfulness. "Oh, yeah that was fine. But then I ran into Hannah and Barbara on the way back and got yelled at for no reason!"

"Sounds like normal," Sucy remarks.

Lotte doesn't even try to admonish Sucy this time. "What was wrong this time?"

"I didn't even do anything! They just asked me what I was planning to do with Diana on the 30th because Diana didn't say anything about having plans. I told them I wasn't doing anything special and then they yelled at me!"

"Isn't the 30th Diana's birthday?"

Akko stares owlishly at Lotte. "Eh? How do you know?"

"How do we not know is the better question," Sucy drawls. "Not with Barbara talking about her gift so much around Lotte."

"She's very happy with the quill set that she bought in town the other day. Perfect with its own automatic ink refills powered by a small philosopher's stone." Lotte says. "Barbara was showing it to me the other day. It must cost a good amount of our pension."

"Diana's team is a group of rich girls. They're fine. They could probably buy Luna Nova based on how the school handles its finances." Sucy grabs the finished vial and turns around in her chair. "Akko, try this one."

Akko scrunches her nose up at the foul smelling potion. "What, why would I do that? What is it anyway?"

"It's supposed to make you fall in love with your crush. Who knows for how long, and what side effects it'll have?"

"I don't need it! I already love Diana. Besides, I need to have a clear head to think of the perfect gift for Diana!"

"Do you have any ideas so far?" Lotte asks.

"Nothing specific. But I can think of a lot no problem!" Akko nods proudly to herself. "I'm her girlfriend, after all."

Sucy raises an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What's one gift idea?"

"I could get her a-" Akko opens her eyes as her mouth stays open. It flaps closed and open a few times as her mind fumbles for an answer. The problem isn't that she has none. It's just that she has so many that she can't pick  _one_.

All the while, Sucy waits for Akko's answer. "And?"

"Uh… what do you get someone who's rich enough to have anything they want at any time?"

"Of course."

"Hey! I bet I can think of something if I really sat down and thought about it!"

"It's okay if you can't think of anything big," Lotte reassures. "I'm sure Diana will be happy with anything you get her."

"She might also be fine with you just spending the day cuddling with her. Or asleep against her chest. She seems to really like that," Sucy says.

Akko's cheeks flush pink. "You guys are never going to stop bringing that up, are you?"

"You two fell asleep against the Jennifer Memorial Tree in broad daylight. Amanda still has the evidence."

"But I was drooling! All over Diana's shirt!"

"That just makes it better," Sucy giggles with an evil grin. "It's not like Diana minded."

"Diana cares so much about you. She wouldn't let a small thing like messing up her clothes or a birthday gift change her opinion of you," Lotte says as she comes down from her bunk. "If you do need any help, I can try to think of good ideas with you.

"No! I should get Diana a gift on my own. I should be able to do this much as her girlfriend." Akko crosses her arms and stews. After thinking so hard that her face starts to turn red, Akko looks up and glances at the vial in Sucy's hand with a twinkle in her eye. "You think I'll get ideas faster if I fall in love with Diana all over again?"

Lotte promptly grabs the potion before Sucy can utter a word, spins on her heel, and chucks it out their window.

* * *

Days pass. Akko has practically spent every waking minute coming up with good ideas for presents and a nice date. Every idea has crossed her mind, from taking a nice stroll throughout the campus to a nighttime ride on their brooms. But none of them seem worthy enough for Diana Cavendish, a girl who lives and grew up with luxury. Even if Diana doesn't act like a snobby aristocrat by flaunting her heritage, it doesn't mean that she  _isn't_ one.

(Okay, Diana's not snobby. That's her aunt. But she's still rich!)

There are so many possibilities. As great as all of them are, Akko doesn't think they are satisfactory. Diana isn't just  _anyone_. Not only is Diana from two prestigious families and grew up with more luxury than Akko can ever imagine, Diana is also Akko's girlfriend. Akko refuses to just give Diana some random gift without the deepest thought and consideration.

(GAHHHHH! Why is this so  _hard_?!)

Akko is so deep in her thoughts that she doesn't notice the other person walk straight into her until both are falling backwards onto their butts.

"Ow ow ow…" Akko groans. After making sure her poor butt isn't too sore, Akko looks up to apologize to who she ran into. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where- oh, Professor Ursula."

Ursula fixes her glasses as she gathers herself and her things. "Oh, Akko! I'm sorry, I didn't see you over the stack of books. What are you in a hurry for?"

"I'm not really in a-" Akko pauses. A thought suddenly comes to her. "Hey Professor, have you ever wanted to get a gift for someone who seems like they can get anything they ever want at any time?"

"I… might have had to deal with someone like that before. Well, it's more like she rarely took an interest in anything besides the one thing I  _couldn't_ give her. But that's beside the point. What did you need?"

Akko tells Ursula everything as she helps her professor carry the books to Professor Finneran. By the time Akko finishes relaying every detail to Ursula, they reach Ursula's room and take a seat. Ursula brews them both a cup of tea before she sits down and gives Akko her answer.

"To be honest, I don't have an answer for you either."

Akko spits out her tea. "WHAT?! So you mean I spent the last half hour worrying about this and you can't help me?!"

Thankfully, Ursula tactically evades the sudden spit take and knows a way to calm her upset student. "Like you said, finding a gift for someone like Diana is going to be difficult. Even if you know what she likes, none of that feels special enough. Most people would be fine with getting her something she likes. But Akko, you're not like that. You want to find the perfect gift for Diana. In that case, the best person to ask is yourself. Only you can judge what's perfect for Diana. No one is Diana's girlfriend but you. And  _you_ are the one giving her the gift. Not me or anyone else."

"Yeah, but this is  _Diana's_ birthday. And… and I just realized…" Akko nurses her cup of tea. "It's the first time I got to celebrate it with her since we got together."

Akko and Diana officially became a couple a few months before the end of their second year at Luna Nova. Right after, Diana's death and subsequent revival also occurred before the start of the new academic year. By the time Diana opened her eyes in her new body, it was already well past summer break. April 30th was well past. Diana missed her birthday because she wasn't even Diana at that point; it was just her soul in a doll that didn't resemble her at all during those initial stages.

(Diana couldn't even celebrate her last birthday with everything that happened. That's just not fair.)

"So… it has to be special," Akko mumbles.

Ursula smiles in understanding. "Well, since this is your first time celebrating as her girlfriend, that is also an advantage in your favor. You don't have any competition from the previous years. It's a clean slate. So get her something - anything - from the bottom of your heart and it should be just fine."

"But if even  _I_ don't know what to get, then I'll end up with nothing at all! And I can't do that! That's even worse than getting her a boring gift!"

Ursula hums. "I can't tell you  _what_ to get Diana. But I don't think you should worry about finding the perfect gift. I'm sure she'll love whatever you decide to give her. Even a pair of socks might be nice!"

"But it's  _Diana_! She's probably gotten so many gifts all her life that everything is normal for her! It has to be something big, something that'll surprise her. Otherwise, how am I supposed to top everyone else as her girlfriend?!"

"But that's the thing. You already have an advantage over everyone else."

"I have an advantage? Where? Is it my cute smile? I think Diana did mention that she likes me smiling but I don't want to give her a  _smile_ as a present! I can do that any day! I  _do_ do that every day!"

Ursula shakes her head with a fond smile. "That's true, but I was actually thinking something more general."

"Uh… happiness?"

"It's  _you_ , Akko.  _You_ are her best present. After all, no one else is her girlfriend. That's already novel enough. No one else can offer that present."

Akko blinks, staring owlishly at Ursula as she processes this information.

"So… basically I can get Diana anything because it comes from  _me_."

Ursula nods, glad that Akko is finally getting it. "Yes. Exactly."

"So that means… I'm competing with  _myself_?!"

Ursula nearly falls out of her seat. "Wait, wait,  _why_?! Where did you get that sudden train of thought?!"

"If anything from me is fine, then that means I have to narrow it down to the best gift that I can get from myself! It has to be the best that I can come up with! That means I have to keep one-upping myself with every idea I get so that it's the best gift ever!"

(Akko?! I love you but why are you making this so hard for yourself?!)

Akko jumps out of her seat and places her hands on hips with a confident nod. "That means I don't have to worry about competing with anyone else but myself. I better go think of ideas and find the best one for Diana!" Akko runs to the door and throws it open. "Thanks for all the help, Professor! You're the best!"

The door slams shut, leaving a silent and bewildered redhead behind.

Ursula groans into her hands. "Oh, Akko. I hope you don't go overboard. We don't need Diana having an aneurysm on her own birthday. Even Diana has her limits…"

Well, there isn't anything she can do now. Now that Ursula has the room to herself again, she uses this time to tackle her own things and trusts her pupil can handle herself. All Ursula can do is cheer Akko on from the sidelines.

(Good luck, Akko!)

* * *

The promised day.

In the end, Akko comes up with so many ideas that it's impossible to narrow it down to one present. So Akko works with what she has to give Diana the best birthDAY instead of just the best present.

She starts by getting dressed and rushing to Diana's room in such a flurry of movement that Lotte barely has the time to wish Akko a nice day.

Akko knocks on the door in succession. When she gets no response in two seconds, she pounds on the door nonstop until finally the door throws open.

"Of  _course_ it'd be you," Hannah groans. She turns back into the room and says, "It's just Akko! Nothing important!"

"Hey!" Akko cries indignantly.

"I don't know what she wants," Hannah replies to whoever asked her a question. "Let her in? Alright, fine."

Hannah fully opens the door and lets Akko inside. Akko doesn't wait for Hannah to move aside before she's charging into the room toward Diana's enclosure.

"Akko show some decency!" Barbara yells because Diana sure as hell wouldn't.

Diana sighs, putting down the two presents she received from her roommates. "Is there something you need, Akko?"

"Are you busy today?"

"Not in particular. I was thinking of spending the day reviewing material."

"You will  _not_!" Hannah and Barbara shout at once. "Not on your  _birthday_!"

"But the girls seem to have other ideas," Diana sighs.

"Great! Wanna go to town with me?" Akko asks.

Diana raises an eyebrow. "Did you have something in mind?"

"A lot! But that's a secret," Akko replies with a wink. "Just get ready and leave everything to me."

"That's never reassuring," Hannah mutters.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Akko demands.

Barbara crosses her arms over her chest. "Do we really have to list all the times you've gotten yourself or Diana into trouble? It's a lot."

Diana sighs. "It's fine. Allow me a few minutes to change and gather my things." Before she retreats behind her bookshelf, Diana sends a warning glare at the three girls. " _Behave_. I should not take long, though heaven knows you three will somehow find something to argue over within five seconds."

"I  _can_ behave myself. It's these two!" Akko jabs at Hannah and Barbara.

"Not even! You're the one who always picks a fight!" Hannah shouts back.

"Not if you two would stop acting like actual gremlins!"

"What did you say?!"

Diana rubs the bridge of her nose but ignores them to pick her outfit for the day. "My point exactly."

Thankfully, Diana gets ready quick enough to prevent World War III from occurring between the three. In contrast to Akko's graphic T, beige short shorts, and red shoulder bag, Diana chooses a teal crew neck T with a skirt of a lighter shade and a white purse. It's a good combination of casual and proper that awes the other girls so much that they instantly stop arguing about whatever nonsense Diana cares little to decipher.

"Wow Diana, you look great!" Barbara praises.

"As expected of Diana! You know just the perfect outfit to look casual and refined at the same time," Hannah adds.

Akko gives Diana a thumbs up. "You look nice!"

(But these guys don't need to push it so much. Ah who am I kidding? Those two don't know how to  _not_ kiss up to Diana.)

"Shall we get going?" Diana asks as she goes to find her broom.

Akko nods. "Oh yeah, you won't be needing your broom today. I can fly us both!"

"Hah? Is that really a good idea?" Hannah asks.

"What do you have against any of my ideas?!" Akko demands.

"We all know you're not the best flyer," Barbara says. "Wouldn't it be better to let Diana fly you guys if you're going to only use one broom?"

"Oh come on! I can fly myself just fine! Even if something  _does_ happen, Diana probably knows a spell to stop us from falling!"

"Of course Diana can! But aren't you relying  _too_ much on Diana?"

Diana shakes her head. "I trust you, Akko. If you say I will not need my broom, then I will let you lead us for the day. This is your idea, after all."

Akko smirks. "See?"

"But Diana…" Hannah and Barbara whine.

"Everything will be fine," Diana reassures. "As long as Akko does not have any  _dubious_ plans for the day. I trust we will not be exploring any lost ruins or the like?"

"Nah. We're just going to town and having some fun. So no evil monsters or witches or anything like that. Unless my luck is  _that_ bad…"

Diana bids Hannah and Barbara goodbye for the day and follows Akko outside the school. From there, Akko takes the lead on her broom and Diana sits behind her with her arms wrapped around Akko's torso to remain balanced on the broom. Once they're both situated, Akko levitates them up into the air and enters the leyline terminal enroute to Blytonbury.

Akko's plan: have a fun day.

Despite the amount of time Akko spent thinking of ideas, she doesn't have any specific places or order in mind. It surprises Diana, but she decides to place her trust in Akko for the day and let her girlfriend take the lead. She doesn't have the energy to argue much today.

As they walk into the city, Akko notices the dual rows of tents lining the sidewalk. "Ohh, it looks like some kind of vendor fair thing!" Akko grabs Diana's hand and tugs her along. "Let's check it out!"

Diana shakes her head with a smile but allows her feet to walk in accordance to Akko. She can't help but get pulled in to look around even if she holds little desire to actually buy something. Akko's energy and enthusiasm is just that hard to resist.

Akko stops at one of the tents that is selling various artworks. "Look Diana! I think this is us on the Shooting Star!"

Diana blinks. "Really?" She walks up and finds the painting Akko is pointing at.

The large painting appears to be a watercolor of the conclusion of their fight against the Noir Missile. The Shooting Star and two figures in white are positioned near the center of the canvas in a background of dark space. Stars litter the vast sky, in particular is the Big Dipper sitting above the two figures in white.

"The likelihood… is astounding," Diana praises.

(Ah, right. That battle was broadcast to the public.)

The couple move on. There are a few other vendors just like that one selling art of various forms. There are other that sell jewelry, clothing, books, bags, candles, and other nicknacks that Akko points out to Diana as they pass through.

Diana stops as they pass by a particular vendor with weapons of various kinds on display.

"Diana?" Akko notices what Diana stops to stare at and wiggles her eyebrows. "Oh, do you want a sword? Missing Daniel's?"

"That is preposterous. I was simply admiring the craftsmanship of the weapons." Diana places a few fingers on one of the weapons. "Every blacksmith has their own capabilities. Their differing styles are what makes every weapon unique. That is why custom-made weapons are stronger and more valuable than mass produced ones."

"Uh huh. You know, you can visit your cousins more often as an excuse."

"I have no idea what you are implying. Now, let us move on."

Once they reach the food vendors, Akko buys them each a burger and a churro. While Diana looks at the greasy cheeseburger in mild disgust, she only stares at the fried pastry in confusion.

"What is this?"

Akko balks. "You've never had a churro? Amanda showed me this the first time we went to town together! It's covered in cinnamon and it's sweet but fried. Two of the best things in the world!"

Diana doesn't seem to agree. "I… rarely eat food that is fried."

"Then you've been living under a rock. Come on, just try it!"

Well, it doesn't hurt to. Diana takes a small bite that mostly gets the cinnamon powder and little of the fried dough. But it's enough to make her eyes light up.

"Oh my, it  _is_ sweet."

"Duh, it's dessert. Just don't forget to eat the burger."

"Did Amanda also introduce you to this…" Diana's eyebrow twitches "monstrosity of fat?"

"Nah, we have plenty of these back at home. And it's not  _that_ scary. Just don't read the nutrition labels and you'll be good!" Akko takes a bite into her burger, savoring the taste of beef. "Man, this is great! Luna Nova never has this kind of food."

"… If this is a staple food in the United States, it is no wonder obesity is a common problem for its population."

They finish their food as they continue down the street. They make sure to fill up their bottles with water to stay hydrated throughout the day. Though, Akko instantly pulls out her wallet to buy a parfait for them to share.

This spontaneous purchase has nothing to do with Akko fantasizing about Diana using her own spoon to offer Akko a bite. Nor does it have to do with Diana using her handkerchief to wipe Akko's mouth again. Nope, nothing of that sort. Noooooo connection.

They spend another hour walking up and down the street to look at all the different vendors and their products. Once Akko thinks it's time to move on, she notices a familiar shop down the road a little ways from the end of the street fair.

Akko points in the direction of the Last Wednesday Society. "Hey, it's the cafe Lotte always goes to! Let's go say hi to the owner!"

Finding no harm in that, Diana lets Akko pull her into the magic item cafe. The bell on the door jingles in response to their entrance.

The Proprietor looks up from stacking a few boxes at the sound. "Ah, it's you girls! What can I help you with today?"

Akko grins. "What's something special for someone's birthday?"

"Oh ho? And who's the lucky person turning a year older?"

Akko laces her hand with Diana's. "Just my girlfriend's! But I wouldn't mind getting something too!"

Diana shakes her head with an embarrassed smile. She may be used to others knowing her relationship with Akko, but apparently she still can't keep up with Akko's spontaneity. "There is no need. We can pay just as customers should."

"Nonsense! A birthday isn't just any day! You only celebrate the day you were born once every year! That's once every three hundred and sixty-five days." The Proprietor kneels down and searches through the compartments of the counter. "Now where did that thing go…? Hm, I swear I have the perfect little thing just for couples like you two… Ah! Here it is!" He pulls out a small, dusty brown box and places it onto the counter for the two girls to see. After blowing some of the dust, he opens the lid and turns the box around for the two girls to see.

Sitting inside on a plush red cloth are two miniature swords with a yin and yang pattern. Each are no longer than the length of Akko's middle finger. The blades of both curves in a way that looks similar to a combination of the blade shapes of the combat and skinner knives. The handle is covered in a black leather cloth. The black yang sword has a hexagonal pattern similar to a tortoise shell. On the other hand, the white yin sword has less of the shine of a polished metal in its ore; instead, it is more like the haze of a cloud.

"Are those letter openers?" Akko wonders. "Diana, do you know what these are?"

Diana frowns. "I haven't the faintest idea. This craftsmanship does not look to be European."

"That's because they're from ancient China!" the Proprietor says. "The twin married swords: Gān Jiàng and Mò Yé. Well, this is just a miniature replica of them. No one knows where the real ones are. It's said that the original pair have shamanistic and ritual aspects because they were made with the best materials. There might have been a human sacrifice involved, but that's been debated."

Akko shrugs. "Well, since it's free!"

"Akko, we should at least  _pay_ for them," Diana admonishes.

"Nope. Consider this a gift. If not for your birthday, at least as thanks for saving the world!" The Proprietor closes the box and places it in a brown paper bag. "How about that? Can't say no to a present for doing so much!"

Akko takes the bag with a big smile. "Thanks! I'll make sure we bring more people back here!"

Akko pulls Diana out the door before she can protest further. The Proprietor waves them goodbye with a small chuckle.

"Those two." He shakes his head. "They've sure come far from that time…"

After convincing Diana to just accept the gift and give up on going back to return it (or at least paying for it), Akko takes Diana to a specific belltower that she had once come across during her freshman year. They climb the stairs at a leisurely pace and reach the top only slightly out of breath. By the time they step foot on the roof, the sun is already starting to dip down the sky.

"This is the bell that Headmistress Holbrooke's staff came from!" Akko says. "Her dad used to ring this bell for his job and gave the Headmistress the clapper as her amulet." Akko looks under the bell to see the clapper there for herself. "I guess she put it back after her dad came to life that one time."

Diana blinks. "Was this one of your adventures with Lotte and Sucy?"

"Heh… something like that. Man, we had to fix  _so_ many brooms that time."

Diana turns her gaze back to the town. She leans on the railing with her arms crossed on top of the metal.

"This is certainly a beautiful view. I would never have thought to come up here." Diana takes a deep inhale. "It's… calming. A rather good place to clear your head."

Akko nods, joining Diana by her side. "It's like going on the Observatory Tower but with a different view. Luna Nova is great, but sometimes I like just enjoying the view here too, you know?"

As vague as that is, Diana understands exactly what Akko means.

The two spend the next few minutes in silence, simply watching as the sun sets below the horizon. Each of them lose themselves in their thoughts. For Akko, it is wondering how Diana is liking the day so far. For Diana…

"Akko-"

Diana pauses. Whatever she plans to stay gets lost with the wind.

Akko tilts her head. "Yeah?"

But Diana cannot find the words she wanted to say. All she can think about is how the setting sun shines against Akko's eyes. While red is an unusual color, the orange glow of the sunset brightens Akko's eyes in a way that reminds Diana of ancient amber.

(Ah, so it is not simply your smile that has bewitched me. You continue to captivate me in many ways…)

Akko waves her hand in front of Diana's face. "Diana? Did you space out again? Did your necklace stop working?"

Diana shakes her head. "It is nothing. I… I wanted to say thank you. For today."

"Don't thank me yet! I haven't even given you my present yet!"

"I thought today's date was the present?"

"Psh. You think I wouldn't give you something you can keep? Come on, even the cafe owner gave you something! I'd be the worst girlfriend if I didn't even give you at least  _something_."

"Not quite. The worst girlfriend would have forgotten her girlfriend's birthday entirely," Diana says with a small smile.

"Yeah, good thing that didn't happen, right?" Akko laughs nervously as she shifts on her feet. "Besides, this is the first time we got to celebrate your birthday since we got together. I wanted it to be special."

Diana realizes the truth to this. One year ago, she was lying in the infirmary with a body that looked nothing like herself right now. Her state at the time did not allow her to process the passage of time. One moment she was in the Arcturus Forest with Fei Wong, and the next she was awake with Akko hovering by her side. Immobile, but at least awake and alive.

Diana knew that it took six months since her death to recover enough to function as a human again. But it does not fully register with her until now just  _what_ she has missed.

Diana gathers her thoughts and replies, "You have certainly outdone yourself. Today was wonderful."

Akko takes Diana's hand. "Well, we're not done yet! Let's go back to Luna Nova! I can give you your present there! Want to race down the stairs?"

"I do not think that is the best idea."

But when has Akko ever listened to caution?

Even with Diana trying to slow her down, Akko speeds down the tower as her exasperated girlfriend follows after her with her wand up to make sure nothing goes wrong. Once Diana reaches ground level as well, Akko suddenly challenges Diana a race to the leyline terminal. Which would make sense if they both had their brooms. So Akko settles with a race  _on foot_.

As much as Diana protests, in the end she still agrees with this silly challenge just to humor the girl she fell in love with.

"Come on, it's your birthday! It's okay to let loose once in awhile!" Akko reasons.

When was the last time Diana Cavendish raced through the city, gasping for breath as she tries to outrun her competition? The exhilaration is similar to the feeling she gets when flying on her broom. But to experience it on foot is a different experience. It almost pulls her back to her childhood when she still played outside with the other children.

This sensation of freedom brings back many memories of the past. But all of these thoughts are trivial when Diana looks over and glances at Akko's determined gaze to win this impromptu race. It spurs her on as well. Diana has her own competitive streak, after all.

In the end, Akko reaches the leyline terminal before Diana by at most ten seconds. She collapses on the grass outside the entrance with her limbs splayed out and her chest heaving. Diana follows Akko down to the ground next to her once she reaches the finish as well.

"Hah… hah… I won!" Akko laughs with triumph.

"Have… you been… training… for a marathon?!" Diana gasps.

Akko giggles after catching her breath. "Professor Ursula's been teaching me some spells that need more endurance. You're not the only one with your own physical training!"

"My body requires physical  _therapy_ , not physical training. And I have not needed as many sessions lately."

"It's the same thing. It's basically exercising!"

Diana takes the time to rest instead of arguing back. Her hand trails to find Akko's nearby. She uses her pinky to interlock her finger with Akko's pinky.

Akko turns her head over. "Was that good?"

Diana huffs. "I suppose it is good to exert yourself in such childish activities once in awhile."

"Oh come on! It's a lot better than locking yourself in the library for hours with no breaks!"

"I give myself plenty of rest."

"Are we really going to have the sleeping debate again? You know you won't win unless you start sleeping more than five hours a night."

Some things don't change.

Orange shifts to darkness. As the sun fully sets, Akko and Diana mount Akko's broom to return to Luna Nova. By the time they reach the entrance of the academy, the stars are shining against a canvas of night.

Akko puts down her broom and reaches into her bag. "It's not some fancy quill set or anything, but I think it's still pretty cool."

Akko pulls out a small box and hands it to Diana. The outside is crudely wrapped with light blue wrapping paper covered in small white bunnies.

"Akko, you really shouldn't have-"

"Nope, I'm not taking it back. You better open it here or you're going to hurt my feelings."

Diana chuckles. "If you insist."

Diana does her best to undo the wrapping paper without tearing it apart. It proves to be a difficult challenge considering how horribly wrapped it is. But Diana does her best. Once she has the box freed from its restraints, Diana opens the gift and takes out what's inside.

Akko's eyes brighten. "So…?"

Diana drops the box and holds the small item in both palms.

"Akko… this is… this is wonderful…"

Diana takes the time to admire the small green statues. Judging from the small amount of energy radiating from the item, it is mostly constructed by molding a philosopher's stone into the specific shapes of two animals held together by a small platform. One is a unicorn standing on its hindlegs and its head raised so that the horn is pointed proudly to the sky. The other is a crouching griffin with its head tilted low and its beak open in a ferocious, silent cry.

Or at least, that is what it is supposed to look like. A few of the minor details are a bit obscure due to the flawed molding. But Diana can still speculate what the figures are supposed to be. And it isn't like the statues are ugly, just a bit flawed.

Akko scratches the back of her head. "I didn't think I'd finish it in time. Professor Ursula actually had to help me with the last bit because I just couldn't get the details. Sorry it looks a bit ugly."

Diana shakes her head. "This is… more than enough. Thank you, Akko."

"It took me so long to think of the best gift. I really have to thank your dad."

"My father?"

Akko nods. She reaches down and lifts up the necklace around her neck. "You said your dad gave you this before he left, right? The unicorn and the griffin. It's supposed to represent the House of Cavendish and the House of Reinhardt. Just like you. So I thought, 'What's something that represents Diana?' And then I thought of this." Akko points to the statues. "You can't wear that on you, but you can at least put it next to your desk. Even if it is a bit ugly."

"You considered so much?"

Akko pouts. "Hey, is that really surprising? Come on, I can think too!"

Diana shakes her head. "That is not what I meant. I…" Diana purses her lips together. "That necklace was not a present for my birthday. However, it was the last present I ever received from my father."

Akko looks down. "Right… because he went to those caverns and never came back…"

Diana gently rubs her thumb across the surface of the statues. "Mother and Father would often compete against one another for the best birthday gift. If I must admit, I was rather spoiled as a child."

"I can't imagine what presents your mom and dad would've come up with. Must've been great. Wait, didn't you say once that your horse was a gift from your mom?"

Diana chuckles. "Ah, that birthday."

She recalls that distant memory from two points of view. One is a somewhat clear recollection of her own childhood. The other is a hazy and conflicting memory from the point of view of another participant.

* * *

_This is during a time where this particular family is still whole and together. There are no illnesses, no curses, and no death. Only the happiness of their family takes precedence._

_Bernadette Cavendish claps her hands together. "Now that Diana has opened all of her presents, I suppose it's time for mine."_

_A chorus of excited ohhs follow. Even the other children are excited to know what the Cavendish head will gift her daughter this year._

" _So where is it?" one child asks._

" _It cannot be held inside," Bernadette says. "Shall we go outside?"_

_Diana turns to her father and reaches up. "Father, I would like a ride."_

_Arthur Reinhardt laughs. "Already taking advantage of your birthday privileges?"_

" _Father is like a horse; strong and sturdy!"_

" _I hope those are the only similarities!"_

_Nevertheless, Arthur bends down and lets Diana ride on his shoulders._

_Bernadette chuckles beside them. "Not to worry, Arthur. I am sure Diana will have no need for you after she receives my present."_

_Arthur narrows his eyes. "Do not tell me…"_

_Everyone follows Bernadette through the estate and outside. As she leads them closer to their destination, Arthur's assumptions seem all the more likely to be true._

_It is obvious when Bernadette stops at the stables and has Diana go inside to meet the newest addition to their family: a small, brown foul next to Bernadette's own horse._

" _A pony?!" Diana gasps. She throws her arms around Bernadette's waist. "I love it! Thank you, Mother!"_

_Bernadette kneels down and kisses Diana's forehead. "And what will you name him?"_

" _Him?" Diana hums. "Mother's horse is Bruna… then her pony will be Bruno!"_

_Bernadette smiles. "That is a wonderful choice."_

_As the other children marvel at the small animal, Arthur stands in shock with his mouth flapping open and closed._

" _What is it, dear? Why are you so silent?" Bernadette teases. "Where is your gift?"_

" _Tha-" Arthur points at Bernadette with a trembling finger. "That's_ cheating _!"_

_Bernadette raises an eyebrow. "And how is this cheating, may I ask? At least I did not give her a broadsword from Lord Ulfric's collection."_

_Arthur groans. "This is ridiculous. I spent weeks agonizing over what would be the perfect gift. And then you give our daughter a_ pony _?!"_

" _It is technically a foul."_

" _That does not matter!"_

_Bernadette crosses her arms over her chest. "And debating the validity of the gift does? I do not see why this is so important, Arthur."_

" _Of course it's important! Now your gift makes mine look horrible!"_

" _What_ did  _you get Diana?"_

_Diana perks up. "I would like to know too!"_

_Arthur holds up a small box wrapped in blue paper with a gold bow on top. As he hands it to Diana, she notices how hastily wrapped the gift is. The corners are even and there are random bumps here and there where the paper misaligned._

_Well, at least Arthur tried._

_Diana peels open the wrapping and takes out the plain brown box underneath. Her eyes shine bright as she opens the box and sees what is inside._

_Arthur turns away with his arms crossed over his chest. "I know it isn't as grand as your mother's gift. But… it was cute. I thought it'd be nice."_

_Diana takes out the Steiff bear and holds it for everyone to see. The brown fur looks soft enough to comfortably sleep with. A silver tag adorns its left ear like a piercing. The height of the bear is no more than fifty centimeters. It is the perfect size for a child to snuggle with._

_The other children gasp and mutter to themselves about the cute stuffed animal. A few of the children even recognize the brand and whisper vows to ask their own parents for a Steiff bear too._

_As for Diana, the small child simply holds the soft bear close to her and gives it a big hug._

" _I love it!" Diana graces Arthur with a beaming smile. "Thank you, Father! I will be sure to treasure Bernur forever!"_

_Both Bernadette and Arthur stare at Diana in confusion._

" _Bern…"_

" _...ur…?"_

_Diana nods. "Mother's name is Bernadette and Father is Arthur. So this bear is Bernur! That way, Bernur can be with me while I sleep just like how Mother and Father used to!"_

_Silence befalls the two stunned parents._

_Finally, Arthur says, "That is… good. I am happy you like the gift. However…"_

" _Please choose a different name," Bernadette says._

_Diana's mouth drops open. "Ehhh? But why?"_

" _It is an awful name," Bernadette and Arthur say at once._

" _A-Awful?"_

" _Ah, not horrendous per se," Bernadette tries to remedy. "I am sure there is a better name for the bear. How about picking just one or the other instead of putting them together?"_

" _Right, right! There should be other, more fitting names!" Arthur agrees._

" _But I need both Mother and Father with me, not just one!" Diana puts her hand to her chin in thought. "What about Arthette?"_

_Arthur and Bernadette are quick to reply with a firm, "No."_

" _Bernthur?"_

" _That is no better than the first!"_

_Diana tries again. "Ardette?"_

" _This is getting nowhere!"_

" _Arnadethur?"_

" _How did you come up with a name like that?! No, how can a six year old even pronounce that?!"_

" _Arthur, please convince our daughter to change her mind!" Bernadette demands._

_Arthur shakes his head. "Me?! Why must it be me?! You are better with words! All I know how to do is swing a sword and anger people!"_

" _You are the one who gave her that bear! You have a greater say in what she names it!"_

" _But it's her gift!"_

" _At this rate, Diana will give that bear the most ludicrous permanent name for a stuffed animal! And we will be the ones who must acknowledge it!"_

" _Ahhh!"_

* * *

In the end, Diana stuck with the first name she came up with. Bernur is one of the few companions to stay by her side after all these years. Even after her father disappeared and her mother passed away from illness, a stuffed animal cannot die. Diana may have had to put aside her childhood at a young age under the strain of all her responsibilities, but she could never pack away a reminder of the happy times where all three of them could be a family together.

Not when there are so few of those happy memories.

The first year after Arthur's disappearance was hard for both Diana and her mother. It was hard to shake the absence of such an important person in the birthday process. Bernadette attempted to make up for Arthur's absence by finding the one thing she knew had captured Diana's heart at the time.

Even if Bernadette could not accompany Diana to Japan herself, she could at least give Diana the opportunity to see at least one of Shiny Chariot's performances in secret. That was the most she could do as a single mother crippled by an incurable illness.

But then, there was no one to fill in the second absence after her mother passed away as well.

Anna and the other servants tried. Diana will never forget how Anna planned the first birthday since both her parents left her. But it was not the same. In the end, Diana could only wipe away her tears as she focused on regaining her magic and taking on the burdens she was suddenly left with.

Diana had to give up many things. But that was not all. There were also many things she had lost beyond her control. She could not do anything to prevent her parents' deaths as a child. Perhaps even now she does not have the ability. That only means that this outcome was inevitable. The loss of her childhood innocence could not be helped.

When is the last time Diana looked forward to her birthday? She does not know.

Today with Akko is the closest she has come to celebrating her birthday as she should. Smiling and having fun with her most important person rather than simply receiving gifts. She loves Anna and all her friends who have tried to fill the void in her life these past few years. But none of them came close to her parents.

None of them until Akko.

"D-Diana?! Why are you crying?!"

As Akko says, Diana feels a few tears trail down her cheeks. Akko blurs as the tears obstruct her vision. But Diana cannot find the strength to bring up her hands to wipe the tears away.

Not when she sees both her parents standing behind Akko. Her three most beloved people, standing together as she wished. It is a childish and impossible dream. Both her parents have already passed; this desire cannot come true. But even if this is a hallucination, Diana cannot stop herself from believing if even for just a moment.

Her father stands tall and proud, devoid of steel and blood. His arm rests around her mother's shoulders, as if he refuses to part from her after their separation these many years. He gives Diana his trademark boyish grin, proud that his daughter has grown up to be such a fine young woman.

At the same time, her mother leans in toward the taller man and lets his body shoulder her weight. After carrying on her own after his disappearance, she can now share the burden with her most significant other. She too shows Diana her own smile brimming with pride and happiness. Such a different expression from the last few painful months of her feeble and lonely life.

Arthur Reinhardt and Bernadette Cavendish. Two very different individuals. But what draws them together is their love for one another. Diana Cavendish is the result of such a strong bond. Their pride and joy, happy and alive after so many trials and challenges.

How can they not be happy for their daughter? How can they not smile so brightly on such an important day? Even Diana's imagination seems to think so.

Akko takes a step forward. In contrast to her parents' smiling faces, Akko's is filled with worry.

"Diana?"

Diana shakes her head, the tears falling even faster. "I… I am happy. Thank you. I… I am  _so_ grateful to be alive. I…"

Without another word, Akko closes the distance and wraps her arms around Diana's shoulders. She brings Diana's head down onto her shoulder and covers Diana's face. One hand starts to rub small circles on Diana's back.

"It's okay. It's okay to be happy. Just… it's okay. Being happy isn't bad. You should be happy more!" Akko feels her own tears trailing down her face. "So remember to smile, okay? I'm sure your mom and dad wouldn't want you crying on your own birthday. So… it's better to smile. Laugh too! Don't be sad. Ahh, you're making  _me_ sad…"

Diana huffs. It's a bit watery and muffled by Akko's shoulder, but she does as Akko says and laughs.

No, her parents wouldn't want her to cry on her own birthday either. They would want her to be happy.

And she truly is at last. Thanks to this wonderful person embracing her.

"I love you, Akko."

_I love you, Mother, Father._

"Thank you."

Akko smiles, letting her hands rub gentle circles on Diana's back.

"I love you too, Diana. And I'm glad you're here with me too."

She says nothing else. Anything else would be too much. Therefore, Akko gives Diana this time. Akko has already done all she needed for the day. The rest of the night is now up to Diana to decide.

Snuggles seem like a good start.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, it got kind of angsty near the end. That is my fault. I guess this tomato just can't write something without defaulting to pain and suffering. Geez, I need to calm the hell down.
> 
> Poor girl has been through a lot under my writing. She's allowed to cry.
> 
> Yes, I did just call out my own country for its obesity issue. Have you ever wondered what is "American" cuisine? If all you can think of are fries, barbeque, and cheeseburgers, that's probably not a good thing.
> 
> I am completely aware that the myth of Gān Jiàng and Mò Yé is a _tragic_ one. But this is the first thing that popped up in my head when I thought of a pair of items. I really do like Fate's design for the dual blades. Plus, they're just replicas in this story. Right?
> 
> **Fun Fact:**
> 
> Akko and Diana's wardrobe this time are based on the clothes they wear in that one comic by Ticcy where Diana confesses like she's in a Jane Austen novel but Akko is Akko. Ticcy is a lovely artist.
> 
> I wanted to have Diana wear jeans but I feel like she has to have a good combination of pants vs. skirts and dresses. I personally hate skirts and dresses for the life of me, but that doesn't mean Diana does. I can't just project my own preferences onto my favorite character. At least, not all the time. I already indulged in that back in _Heart of Steel_ lol.


	2. The Future's Looking Bright (with everyone by our side)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko doesn't understand why everyone has to suddenly make plans on this _specific_ day. Even her girlfriend?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After much deliberation, I decided I'd do a followup to the Diana birthday fic and write one for Akko too. Akko is part of this OTP too LOL.
> 
> I tried to write a pure, fluffy oneshot. I really did. I swear I tried. The angst just refuses to leave me D:
> 
> Just to give a vague timeline… I headcanoned that everyone's first years started when they were all sixteen or going to be sixteen. This is currently their fourth and final year at Luna Nova, so everyone is either going to turn nineteen or already nineteen. I know there's some discrepancy with the years because supposedly everyone except Sucy and Akko were already at Luna Nova at least a year longer at the start of the series (so technically Sucy and Akko are transfers). But I wanted everyone together for another year so please bear with me LOL.

Akko has always been an energetic person. While she can be subdued when it comes to subjects that are difficult or uninteresting, Akko isn't the type of person to hold back about something she truly likes.

The others have noticed a gradual increase in her excitement these last few days, especially Akko's roommates. This growing elation is almost reminiscent to the big events like the broom relay and the Samhain Festival. But there should be nothing of that sort near the end of June.

Though, something like this  _has_ happened before in the previous years…

"I didn't give her anything," Sucy says when Amanda suspects Akko's change in mood to be Sucy's doing.

Akko lifts her head up from her food. "Huh? What are you guys talking about?"

"You've just been really happy lately," Lotte says.

Amanda nudges Akko's side. "Did you finally move to the next stage with your girlfriend?~"

Sucy barely puts up a mushroom umbrella to cover herself from Akko's spit-take. In the seat next to Akko, Diana stabs her fork into her porkchop with a little too much force in her own embarrassment.

"Why on  _earth_ would you insinuate that?" Diana demands as she tries to pull herself together.

"Yeah! Diana's not an indecent person like that!" Hannah shouts. Barbara nods beside her.

Amanda shrugs. "People get that happy glow whenever they get laid. Then again, that can't be it. Diana still looks as serious as she always does even around Akko."

"And you think that is a plausible hypothesis simply because we are dating? Even if you have no sense of etiquette, Luna Nova has its own set of rules that must be upheld. Refraining from acts that may tarnish Luna Nova's name is only one of them."

Amanda doesn't back down from Diana's death glare. "Come on, you're both old enough. You just turned nineteen and Akko's been eighteen. No one will know if you keep things private in your own bedroom."

"Except us," the rest of the red and blue team mutter.

"There  _are_ other places to do the do-"

" _O_ kay, I love you all but not this much to keep up with this!" Akko wipes her mouth with Diana's offered napkin. "And for the record, I'm turning nineteen too. It's my birthday in a few days."

Amanda feigns dropping her utensils. "Wait, really? It's this soon?"

"Ah, that explains your giddiness," Sucy drawls.

"There was something like this our first two years, wasn't there?" Lotte adds.

"Yeah, just not last year. Akko was too busy with Diana to remember her own birthday."

"Hey, my birthday's important but so is waiting for my girlfriend to wake up from a many-month-long coma. I have priorities!"

"More like you can't keep track of multiple things at once," Sucy says.

"June 25th, correct?" Diana asks.

Akko nods. "Yep! I was actually wondering what you guys were up to on that day. I thought we could have another picnic after classes or something! Maybe even ask Professor Ursula to give us permission to stay out late. Ohhh, or I can just ask Professor Ursula to 'supervise' us but really she's invited too!"

Instead of enthusiastic responses, all Akko gets is an awkward silence across their table.

"Actually, there is something I wish to discuss with you, Akko," Diana says first. "There is… something urgent I must attend on the twenty fifth. I was about to ask if you had plans for the day before instead."

Akko's mouth flaps open and closed. "Wha- What do you mean you have plans?"

Diana sighs. "An urgent meeting that my aunt requires me to attend. When I requested to decline, she insisted that my presence was mandatory." Diana places her hand on Akko's. "I truly am sorry, Akko. If it is of any consolation, I can spend the majority of the twenty fourth with you to celebrate at the time of midnight. It's all I can offer in these conditions."

Akko shakes her head. "Tha-That's okay. I know you're busy. And your aunt's terrifying enough that I don't really want to tell her off. Even if it's my own birthday."

"And we'll be helping out for Diana when she's gone that day," Barbara says.

Hannah nods. "We have to make sure the school keeps running without Diana here! Even if it's a day!"

"The school still ran even when Diana left for multiple days last year. Twice," Akko points out.

"Yeah, because Diana had us!" Hannah declares proudly.

Akko rolls her eyes. "Okay fine. Thanks for thinking about it at least."

Amanda scratches the back of her head. "Sorry, Akko. Jasna, Constanze, and I actually have detention that day. We'd be down, but this is going to take the whole night after classes."

Jasminka nods solemnly. "Sorry, Akko. I can try to buy you my favorite cake to share?"

Stanbot jumps onto their table and beeps an apology in place for Constanze.

Akko deflates. "You guys have detention again? Didn't you guys just finish one with Professor Finneran?"

"Yeah, but that woman dishes out detentions like how she hands out homework," Amanda groans. "I swear, she probably wants to punish us just for existing or something. Maybe  _she_ needs a vacation."

Akko turns to her teammates. "Then-"

Lotte shakes her head. "I have to speak with Lady Amelia about the internship she offered for the summer. I plan on accepting the offer, so it might take awhile for her to debrief me on the schedule that she has planned."

"Oh, you're finally taking up that lady's offer?" Barbara asks.

Lotte nods. "My parents convinced me to take the chance. It's not every day that you get a personal invitation from one of the heads of the Six Great Houses." Lotte glances at Sucy. "And I'm not the only one who's going to be busy with internships."

"Professor Lukić wants me to shadow her for her next potion brewing," Sucy says. "She said the phase of the moon is important for the procedure, so I can't reschedule even if I wanted to."

"So… you're  _all_ busy?!" Akko nearly cries.

Diana gives Akko's hand a reassuring squeeze. "It cannot be helped. It is only coincidence that all of our appointments lie on this specific day."

Akko rips her hand from Diana to cross her arms over her chest with a pout. "Not fair."

"If I remember correctly, you also have immediate plans, do you not? I believe they were remedial lessons with Professor Ursula in…" Diana checks the time. "Five minutes."

Akko checks the time and slams her hands on the table. "Oh crap, I do! Thanks for reminding me!" Akko stuffs the rest of her food into her mouth and shoots up from her seat. "We can think of something else later! Bye guys!"

Diana doesn't even have time to berate Akko for talking with her mouth full before her girlfriend takes off to meet with Professor Ursula in haste. Once Akko is out of the dining hall, Diana and the others allow themselves to relax.

"So she definitely doesn't suspect anything," Barbara breathes in relief.

Hannah scoffs. "What did you expect? This is Akko. She's about as dense as a brick."

Jasminka hums. "I think Akko is more like cookie dough. Very dense, but also mushy."

"She  _is_ a big softie. Did you guys see how upset she was? I almost felt bad for hiding this from her."

Stanbot beeps as Constanze holds up a sign that says, "That works for us at least."

Amanda grins and puffs up her chest. "My excuse was a good one, wasn't it? Had her fooled pretty well."

"Yeah, considering you guys  _do_ get detention so often. Even more than Akko probably," Sucy says.

"Hey, don't push it. We get detentions a lot, but not  _that_ often."

"And it's not like we lied to Akko either," Lotte says. "I do have a meeting with Lady Amelia. It's next week though."

"What about you two?" Amanda asks Diana and Sucy. "Your excuses real too?"

"Professor Lukić needs a full moon for her potion, but that happened yesterday. Good thing Akko never pays attention to these things," Sucy says.

"The meeting I spoke of  _is_ mandatory. Though my aunt was generous enough to push it back a few days," Diana replies. "The others who will be attending also favored the changed date. It helped in my favor."

"So I'm the only one who straight up lied?!" Amanda balks.

"At least you kept up the lie. I would've strangled you if you gave it away," Hannah huffs.

"Oh yeah? And what was that whole, 'We have to make sure the school keeps running without Diana here! Even if it's a day!' about? Talk about overkill. You two really love to kiss-ass, don't you?"

"As if your blatant lie is any better!"

"Regardless of what excuses were brought up," Diana interrupts, "we can proceed with the next step. I assume everyone understands their designated roles?"

Everyone nods.

"You'll spend the rest of the day with Akko after classes end to keep her distracted from what we'll be doing for her by midnight," Amanda says.

"Make sure she doesn't go back to our room," Sucy adds.

"Amanda and Sucy will be in charge of helping Constanze with the decorations and setting up everything while Diana does that," Lotte follows up.

"While you and Barbara go into town to get anything else that they'll need," Hannah says.

Constanze holds up a sign that says, "Everyone got their walkie talkies?"

Lotte and Barbara in particular fish out two small devices from their skirt pockets to confirm.

"Hannah will help me with the birthday cake," Jasminka says with her trademark smile directed towards Hannah. The girl in question holds up an okay sign with her fingers.

"And Professor Ursula will take care of any permissions we will need to stay out after curfew," Diana finishes. "It seems we all know what we have to do."

Amanda strikes her fist against her other palm. "Akko's going to get the best birthday this year! This is going to be easy! There's nothing that can go wrong!"

* * *

There is so much that goes wrong.

"Hah?! What do you mean you can't get the birthday crap?!" Amanda shouts into her walkie talkie. "You had one job! ONE JOB!"

Lotte, Barbara, Hannah, and Jasminka hastily click a button to lower the volume of their devices to prevent passerbyers from glancing curiously at the strange booming sound. Diana, on the other hand, is not so lucky as the only one with an earpiece rather than a handheld device. She can only cringe and hope her right ear still works after today.

"It's not our fault! Akko ran into the shop that we were supposed to go to!" Barbara shouts back.

"What the heck? Isn't the dashing girlfriend supposed to be keeping Akko  _away_ from our business today?!"

Diana chooses to ignore Amanda's teasing remark. Instead, she ducks behind a shelf as Akko looks around the shop to hastily hiss, "I cannot control where Akko wants to go. It is  _her_ birthday."

" _You're_ supposed to be planning the date, Princess Smart-Ass! That means you can make Akko go somewhere that Lotte and Barbara  _aren't_ at!" Amanda retorts.

"Does Akko strike you as the type to adhere to strict organization? It was already a surprise she planned an entire outing for my birthday two months ago!"

"At least do a better job!" Amanda glances back at what remains of the red team's room. "We've already got our hands full with our own crap to deal with!"

"You think  _you've_ got it bad?!" Hannah hisses back. "At least you don't have to deal with a food fight in the kitchen!"

"A  _what_?" everyone else shouts.

"An elf spilled something on another spirit and that spirit thought it was the ox who did it so it threw a ladle which missed and hit another spirit and this led to that and tables were flipped and  _oh_ I don't know what's going on anymore!"

Amanda hums. "That sounds fun. At least you don't have Finneran chewing us out for exploding Akko's room and the entire hallway."

This time Lotte flips the switch to her device and yells, "Explo- WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR ROOM?!"

"Lotte, relax. Everything's fine," Sucy finally drawls after leaving Finneran to Constanze. "Well, okay, nothing is intact but our room can be repaired. No one's dead either."

"Sucy, ten girls had to be sent to the infirmary," Amanda deadpans.

"That's only three rooms plus a person. Not too bad."

"You poured one of your stupid potions into Constanze's robot and injured  _ten_ people! How is that not bad?!"

"Technically, you knocked yourself into my shelf and the potions fell onto Stanbot. That isn't my fault."

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't make those stupid potions in the first place!"

"They were placed on a shelf for a reason. This is your fault for jumping all over the place."

"Because you wouldn't let me stand on your bed to put up the decorations!"

"Are you as bad as Akko that you can't use magic for something as simple as that?"

Amanda growls, "How about I use magic to wipe that stupid smirk off your face?!"

"AHH Diana! Akko's leaving the shop!" Lotte and Barbara notice at the same time.

"Oh goodness." Diana groans and goes to find her girlfriend before Akko starts to wonder where she went.

"Sucy, fix our room! My entire collection of  _Night Fall_ was in there!" Lotte cries.

"As soon as Finneran is done ranting-"

"Yapping," Amanda amends. "Oh, Professor Ursula is here to do some damage control. Wait no, Finneran's just yelling at her now too."

At the same time, Hannah's voice cries, "Just give us time to finish the cake because it's not made- Jasminka! Stop wrestling the minotaur!  _Why_ are you wrestling the minotaur?! Stop that! Hey you, why are you workers  _betting_?! No I do not want to place a bet-!"

"-Which doesn't seem like it's going to end soon," Sucy continues while ignoring Hannah's cries.

"This wouldn't have happened if you put your potions in a safe place!" Amanda says.

"Or if you were actually careful-"

"This isn't even my fault-!"

"Just fix the room or you two are replacing all three hundred and sixty-seven of my  _limited edition_ -!"

"Mother of cockatrices look what you've done, Amanda."

"Me?! This is you-!"

"Lotte, you can always borrow mine-"

"But it's not the same-!"

"FIFTY POUNDS ON JASMINKA! TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT LOSERS!"

The voices turn into a jumble of incoherent voices that Diana cannot decipher even if she wants to. She opts to turn off the small microphone piece in her ear until whatever chaos happening with their friends have passed.

Akko tilts her head at Diana once she catches up. "Uh, did I do something wrong? You look like I just failed another test."

"Nothing. There is absolutely nothing amiss. Let us continue with our date."

Even if Akko wants to protest, there isn't much she can do when Diana laces their hands together and practically drags her away from the confectionery shop they were just at. A cursory glance back tells Diana that Lotte and Barbara and taking this chance to dash into the shop to continue with their errands. Diana releases a deep exhale once she and Akko are far enough away and Lotte and Barbara are safe in the shop.

Akko doesn't notice Diana's uneasiness at all. Not when Akko mirrors with her own heavy sigh.

"Is something wrong, Akko?" Diana asks. "You do not seem to be enjoying yourself."

Akko shakes her head and waves her free hand. "No, everything's great! You know I love spending time with you! Everything… everything with you is great."

"Yet, there is certainly something on your mind."

"I just wish I could've spent the day with everyone else too," Akko grumbles. "I get everyone has their own lives, but couldn't they be busy on any  _other_ day?! Why did it have to be on the one day of the year that's supposed to be important to me?! And on the  _last_ year we're all together?!"

Diana squeezes Akko's hand, offering her a sympathetic smile. "It cannot be helped. It would be a miracle if we could control the forces of the world."

"Yeah well, I'd like to have some better luck for once in my life. I think the only times my luck turned out great for me was finding the Shiny Rod in the Arcturus Forest and knowing you liked me back." Akko sighs. "Ahh, isn't there a lucky potion or something I can take?! Or at least something that will give me permanent good luck?"

There most certainly is a potion for that, though Diana refuses to disclose that information. The effort and repercussions are never worth it.

"It would help if you exercised more caution toward yourself," Diana says instead.

"But sometimes you just have to do it! What if I spend so much time thinking that the opportunity goes away?" Akko argues. "Then it's better to have tried than not, right? Besides, you've made some pretty bad decisions too."

"You were in danger. It is difficult to restrain myself when your safety is involved. I am able to control my impulses for all other situations. It is difficult to apply the same logic to my most important person."

Akko huffs. "That's pretty much the same thing. My dumb decisions aren't any different."

"Are you implying that my decisions are 'dumb?'"

"I mean… you did kind of go off on your own to pick a fight with a really old evil spirit. Twice. And almost died. Actually, you did die once. So yeah, that was stupid. And that's coming from me."

Diana sighs. "I understand your point. I suppose there is much we both have to reflect upon."

"At least we can do that together!" Akko pauses to scratch her cheek. "Uh, we  _are_  going to be together, right?"

Diana raises an eyebrow. "Is there a reason we should not? Unless you would like to pursue a relationship with someone else-"

"NO!" Akko cries, so loud that it catches the attention of a few bystanders. It also takes Diana aback enough to stop walking. "Why would you think I'd think that? Unless… unless you don't want to-"

Diana shakes her head. "No, those are not my feelings either. I considered a possibility that  _you_ would… move on."

Akko considers using a spell to increase the physics of her jaw because it is  _so_ close to unhinging itself.

"Are you crazy?! How many times do I have to confess my love to you for you to get that  _I love you_. 愛してる! That's I love you, as I keep telling you. Like, really, really love you. Do we have to fight another Demon Witch so you'll get it?"

"I… I suppose I misjudged your feelings," Diana says, her voice trailing off.

This time, Akko clasps both of their hands together and gives them a firm shake. She doesn't care that people are staring. None of that matters when all she can see is Diana and the insecurities that she is trying  _so hard_ to hide.

(Why is Diana so stupid at the stupidest things?!)

Akko huffs. "I'm not gonna leave. Ever. I don't  _want_ to leave. So get that straight! And you're not going to leave either. Because until you  _really_ don't want me, I'm going to keep following you and bring you back. I won't let you leave. I…" Akko sniffs and shakes her head to get rid of the brimming tears without using her hands. "I won't let you break your promise again."

Diana stops herself from taking a step back at Akko's declaration. Running away is not the answer to this.

(Akko… A year is not enough time for you to forgive me, is it?)

So Diana steels herself for the response she must give, finding the proper words to reply to her most important person. The same person that she inadvertently hurt due to her own selfish decisions.

"I understand. It was foolish of me to think you would leave. Not after the dedication you have shown me. It was a poorly timed jest."

"That was supposed to be a joke? No offense, but you're not really funny."

Diana chuckles and shakes her head. "I suppose not. I will leave the humor to you and Amanda from now on." Diana squeezes their hands, urging Akko to lift her head. "I am honestly amazed at how many times you have found me. Even when I have strayed to the darkest of situations - whether it be against the world or myself - you have always found a way to bring me back. You are truly wonderful, Akko."

"Except for that one-" But when Akko lifts her head, all doubt is washed away by Diana's soft gaze. Akko feels the heaviness in her heart lift for just enough time for Diana to continue.

"Even if you fail to find me, you will not lose me. You have done enough; more than enough. It is my turn to reciprocate. I have found my way back to you once. I am sure I can do it again, and again; as many times as it takes to stay by your side so that we may fulfill our promises together."

Diana releases one hand to wipe the tears from Akko's eyes. She reaches into her pocket to pull out a small white handkerchief to give to Akko. Without missing a beat, Akko takes the handkerchief and blows her nose into it so hard that Diana can only stare at her.

"Is that another promise?" Akko asks after her nose is clear.

"Ah, I suppose it is."

Akko looks down at the dirty piece of cloth. "Sorry I ruined your handkerchief."

Diana shakes her head. "It can be easily replaced. I apologize for springing such a heavy topic on your birthday. I… I was unaware that you were still troubled."

Akko shoves the handkerchief into her pocket. "I try not to let it bother me, you know? I'll make jokes about it here and there. That's what Amanda suggested anyway."

"Amanda? She told you to speak of it lightly?"

"So it doesn't seem like something serious. And it worked for a bit. Lotte said I should talk about it to someone, but it just hurts to think about it. It usually doesn't bother me a lot. And then sometimes it just hits me like a train. I guess I just felt kind of lonely today so it was harder to ignore." Akko shakes her head and slaps her cheeks. "Man, who's ever heard of someone crying on their own birthday? This sucks."

"In that case, shall we proceed with the day to take your mind off unwanted thoughts?" Diana laces a hand with Akko's again. "There is still time. Where would you like to go?"

Akko wipes her eyes one last time to clear the remaining traces of her tears. Even if she can't spend her special day with anyone else, at least she has the chance to do so with her most important person.

With this in mind, Akko grabs Diana's hand and flashes her the brightest smile she can manage.

"There  _is_ this one shop…"

"Would it happen to be the only shop in existence to still sell Shiny Chariot merchandise? A shop that so happens to be located here in town?"

"It's not the  _only_ place that still sells Chariot stuff! It's just the closest one."

"I would have thought you'd have every kind of Chariot merchandise available by now."

Akko rolls her eyes as they renew their stroll. "I don't have  _everything_. Most of the time they run out of stock before I can buy it."

"So you are saying you would have everything if it is not limited?"

"Yeah! What kind of fan would I be if I didn't try to collect it all?!"

"An average fan. Though I suppose it isn't like you to consider things in moderation." Diana huffs fondly. "Especially if it pertains to Chariot."

"Hey, I'm not the one who somehow got Chariot's Premium Card as a kid. I'd say that makes you an above average fan too!"

Diana coughs. "Previous fan."

"Aw, you don't have to be so shy about it! This is a safe space!"

"While I do admit the fondness for Chariot's magic has not completely left me, my interest cannot be compared to your own feelings. In the end, your dedication and idealism place you the closest to Chariot."

"But that doesn't mean you don't care at all!" Akko tugs on Diana's arm and increases their pace. "I'm sure you still love her enough to want some more Chariot stuff of your own!"

"Akko! Do not pull on my arm like that!"

"Oh come on! You're not the one with a missing limb! That's your cousin!"

"That isn't my main concern! Rather, watch your own-!"

Akko pulls a little too hard, causing Diana to tumble into her and trip them both. They land in a crashing heap on the ground in the middle of some startled pedestrians.

Akko pushes herself up from crushing the body beneath her. The relief of weight allows Diana to suck in a deep breath. Even with a homunculus body, it isn't as if Akko weighs absolutely nothing.

Diana sighs after catching her breath. " …step…"

Akko rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Uh… sorry?"

Akko looks apologetic enough that Diana chooses not to reprimand Akko for her inattentiveness. Especially since it is Akko's birthday. Instead, Diana thumps the back of her head against the cobblestone.

(I can only hope the others are not experiencing more chaos than this…)

A shadow looms over the two girls. "And here I thought it would be more difficult to locate one of you. I underestimated Atsuko Kagari's misfortune."

Akko whips her head up. "Andrew!"

The young man offers a hand to the two. "What are you two doing?"

Akko - and surprisingly Diana - take the offered help.

"We're on a date!" Akko replies. "A pre-birthday gift sort of thing. Since  _someone_  can't make my actual birthday tomorrow." Akko throws a stinkeye toward Diana for good measure.

Andrew raises an eyebrow. "Birthday? I was not aware it was coming up. If I had known, I would have taken proper preparations."

Akko waves her hand. "Nah, it's okay. Say, are  _you_ busy tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, there is a meeting I must attend with my father. I'll be preoccupied for most of the day."

Akko pouts. "Man, my luck sucks."

Diana grabs Akko's hand and gives it a squeeze. "Perhaps another time. Would you mind grabbing a few bottles of water? We've walked quite a bit already."

Akko finds the nearest vendor selling water, which so happens to be the one with the longest line. She nods resolutely.

"Yeah sure! Hold on a second!"

Once Akko is out of earshot, Diana and Andrew drop all pretenses and revert to their usual expressions of mutual neutrality. Their opinions toward one another may have improved these last few years - thanks to a certain Atsuko Kagari - but that doesn't mean the two can instantly forget over ten years of discord.

The two can at least hold a civil conversation though.

"How is the planning going?" Andrew asks.

Diana sighs. "Not well. Amanda and Sucy have destroyed the red team's room and the cake is delayed due to… a food fight it seems."

Andrew grimaces. "And on your end?"

"The topic of my… incapacitation, came up again."

"You mean your death."

Diana snaps her head toward him in a moment of surprise. "How did you…?"

"The Ministry of Magic might have fooled the rest of the world, but none of them spoke directly with Atsuko Kagari during those first few days. She wouldn't have reacted that way if you were simply missing or in a coma."

Diana regains her composure. "If you knew, why haven't you said anything?"

"Is there a reason to? I have no interest in resurrection magic, nor whatever methods used to bring you back to life. If the government chooses to keep the means of your revival a secret then so be it." Andrew finds Akko waiting in the crowd, impatiently jumping from one leg to the other. "More importantly, you and her seem to have resolved any tensions during this past year, despite the conflicts that arose in between. In my opinion, that is all that matters."

Diana watches Akko with Andrew without replying.

"And contrary to what you think of me, I do have faith in your capabilities; both you and Atsuko Kagari. I am sure you will both continue to defy all odds to obtain your happiness. Even if it means defeating a god."

Diana's right hand twitches. "That is not an inaccurate assumption." Sensing that the subject has died down, Diana decides to switch to another topic. "Professor Ursula has agreed to bring you into Luna Nova twenty minutes before midnight. Arrive by the entrance gates ten minutes before that."

"Is that the woman with bright red hair? The mentor Atsuko Kagari always speaks of?"

Diana nods. "The rest of the girls will finish last minute preparations as I keep Akko in my room. Assuming everything goes smoothly."

"Oh? I had no idea you were that kind of woman, Diana."

Diana's eyes threaten to tear Andrew apart with a single glare alone. "You assume too much."

"There is nothing wrong with that assumption, is there? You are both nineteen - or at least, Atsuko Kagari will be in a few hours. With a steady relationship like yours, it is possible that you both have-"

"I refuse to discuss my private life with you."

"Even if Atsuko Kagari wishes for us to 'bond' more?"

"That is entirely possible without referring to the topic of sex." Diana continues to glare. "Since when have you cared for these matters?"

"Why is it so hard to believe that I actually care for your well-being?"

"You never have."

"I never cared for  _magic_. That does not mean you were never a friend." Andrew freezes. "Acquaintance."

Diana glare abates as she raises an eyebrow. "It seems I misjudged you."

"Agree to never speak of this conversation again?"

"And for you to never make improper assumptions about my relationship with Akko?"

"Yes."

"Then agreed."

When Akko returns with three bottles of water, Diana stands alone where she left her earlier.

"Where's Andrew?"

Diana takes one of the water bottles. "He apologizes for leaving so soon but had other affairs to tend to."

"That guy's always busy, isn't he?" Akko opens one of the bottles and takes a long gulp of water.

Diana chooses to sip hers at a slower pace. "Yes, he has too much to worry about already to delve into others' business."

Akko notes the tenseness in Diana's shoulders. "Did you guys talk about something?"

"Hm? Nothing at all."

* * *

"-endangering the lives of the students. Professor Ursula, you must understand how many violations they have committed from this one misconduct alone!"

"I will be sure to speak with them-"

"Speaking to them will not be enough. They will not learn; they will never learn! How many violations does this make? This is their  _fourth_ year. There have been enough chances!"

As the two professors continue to argue, Amanda turns away and turns on her walkie talkie and tries to get through to Hannah now that the girls are no longer shouting at each other.

"Hey, you and Jasna get the cake yet? I don't know how long Professor Ursula can stall for us."

"Not with the kitchen in this state. Geez, Jasminka has a mean suplex. That minotaur broke through the table  _and_ the floor. Oh wait- Ohhh that doesn't look like a pretty bruise. Do you need some ice with that? Why don't we get some from the- Oh, we used it all for the ice fight just now. Hey Amanda, do you know a spell to make some ice?"

"How the heck would I know-?"

"Try  _Grando Calignis_ ," Sucy says, turning on her own walkie talkie.

Hannah casts the spell… and then screams.

"What the- it's  _hailing_!  **OW**!"

"You wanted ice."

"This is causing  _more_ bruises! How do I make this stop?!" When no answer comes, Hannah yells, "SUCY!"

"Oi Sucy. This is just going to make them take longer to make the cake," Amanda hisses.

Constanze pokes Amanda in the side and points to a student running down the hall towards them. She stops in front of Finneran in a huff.

"Professor Finneran, there's a lot of noise coming from the kitchen. I wanted to get something to eat but the door wasn't opening."

Finneran frowns. "Perhaps the spirits are busy. Have you tried knocking?"

"It sounded like there was a lot of yelling. And I could have sworn I heard Hannah's voice inside. Something about pounds."

"Hannah England? That's odd. She is usually with Miss Cavendish… Very well, I will see what is going on."

Ursula gulps. "Um, Professor Finneran, what about…?"

Finneran glares at Amanda, Sucy, Constanze, and then back to Ursula. "I will speak to the headmistress about the exact details of their punishment. For now, make sure they assist you in repairing the damaged rooms. I need to investigate the kitchen in the time being."

Before anyone can say anything to stop her, Finneran turns on her heels and stalks towards the kitchen. The poor, ignorant girl follows after her.

(Crap-!)

Amanda barely waits for Finneran to be out of earshot before she hisses into her walkie talkie, "Oi England, you've got Finneran coming your way. Either fix everything and hide in three minutes, or you and Jasna get the hell out of there!"

"What?! I  _just_ got the hail to stop and now  _Finneran_ is coming?! What happened to keeping the professors busy?! I can't stop Finneran on my own! Diana's the one who usually gets professors to listen to her!"

"There's only so much she can yell at us for!"

"And keep repeating it," Sucy adds.

Ursula sighs. "We need to stay calm. At this rate, you won't have enough time to fix the kitchen and explain everything to the spirits."

"So you suggest they run?" Amanda says.

"No, I have a different idea." Ursula pulls out her wand. "You three fix up the rooms and go back to setting everything up. I'll catch up to Professor Finneran and stall her again."

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping us on a leash?" Sucy asks.

"Yes, but I won't be meeting Professor Finneran as Ursula Callistis." She takes off down the hall, using her higher stamina to race through the corridors and catch up to Finneran's pace. As she's running, she pulls out her own walkie talkie with her free hand. "Hannah, cast  _Yera Retoure_  to return everything to its original state. I'll try to give you at least another five minutes to fix the kitchen and explain the situation to the workers before Finneran arrives."

"Eh? I've never used that spell before! Only Diana can cast it!"

"You are Diana's teammate. I'm sure you have the potential to do what she can as long as you try!"

(Besides, we don't have the time!)

Ursula rounds the next corner and sees Finneran a few paces away.

"The rest is up to you!" Ursula says before putting away her walkie talkie.

"Wait, Professor-!"

Ursula skids to a stop before turning and takes a second to catch her breath. She turns her wand to herself and casts, " _ **Metamorphie Fociesse**_!"

Ursula doesn't wait for the smoke to clear before continuing down the hall after Finneran. She makes sure her pace is brisk enough to catch up, but not enough to cause suspicion. It would be strange for others to see the normally composed Diana Cavendish running breathlessly down the hall.

(Oh my, this is a rather light body. Oh Diana, you really should eat more!)

Once she's close enough, Ursula coughs into her fist and calls out, "Professor Finneran, do you have a minute?"

The girl with Finneran turns around in confusion. "Diana?"

Finneran stops and turns around in surprise. "Oh, Diana is it? Perfect timing. Do you know the whereabouts of Miss England?"

Ursula does her best to ignore the way the student by Finneran is staring at her. "Ah, yes. She was running an errand for me at the kitchen. It seems the spirits required a few replacements to their equipment and sought me for help. I had Hannah remain behind to gather more details as I went to find another professor."

"Ah, I see." Finneran narrows her eyes. "But why would the spirits not come directly to one of the staff? That would be more efficient instead of this indirect method."

Ursula gulps but thinks of an excuse fast enough. "I happened to be in the vicinity and noticed their distress. It appeared to be a rather urgent necessity."

Finneran blinks, apparently surprised and satisfied with the answer. "Ah, as expected of you, Miss Cavendish. Thank you for your help as always. Though… where is Miss Parker if I may ask?"

Ursula freezes. She had forgotten that Diana's team consisted of a third, unaccounted member.

"Ahhh… she's… she is…"

"I think I saw her with Lotte after class," the student with Finneran says. "They looked like they were discussing something really important."

(Oh thank you Mary! You have perfect timing!) Ursula mentally cries.

"Yes!" Ursula says. "They seem to have a lot in common and have been spending their free time together as of late. I am sure that is where Barbara is."

Finneran raises an eyebrow. "I see. Yes, Miss Parker and Miss Yanson have been spending more time together. Ever since you and Miss Kagari became closer. I assume you are the reason Miss Kagari's grades are no longer slipping."

"Y-Yes, I suppose."

"Just remember not to fall to their level. Heaven knows if I can give you another punishment for partaking in their… frequent misconduct." Finneran sighs. "Speaking of which, I need to speak to the headmistress about Miss O'Neil, Miss Manbavaran, and Miss Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger's recent violation once I finish this order of business."

Ursula feigns a hum. "Is that so? That does seem important. May- Perhaps it would be prudent to speak to Headmistress Holbrooke before the matter regarding the kitchen?"

"I thought you said the spirits required my immediate attention?"

"Ahh… I did." Ursula mumbles.

"Miss Cavendish?"

"Nothing! Is amiss!" Ursula quickly amends. She clears her throat. "I believe the spirits only wished to inform you of their request as soon as possible. The replacement may be a necessity, but their kitchen should be able to function for some time without it."

(At least if Hannah casts the repair spell correctly.)

"Very well. If that is what you insist. Unfortunately, I must prioritize the safety of the students and return to the spirits once that has been resolved." Finneran then addresses the student. "Perhaps Miss Cavendish can assist you with whatever you need at the kitchen, Miss Doyle. I will be heading to the headmistress' office first."

Mary perks up as she turns to Ursula, her ponytail bobbing up and down once at the motion. "Th-Thank you, Diana!"

Ursula breathes an internal sigh of relief. "It is no trouble. Then, I will be heading to the kitchen to inform the spirits of your later arrival. Thank you, Professor Finneran."

"No, thank  _you_ , Miss Cavendish."

Finneran starts toward the headmistress' office as Ursula leads Mary toward the kitchen. Once they are far enough, Ursula releases the tense breath she had been unknowingly holding in.

"Diana?" Mary says in concern.

"Ah, please don't be alarmed. But I'm not actually Diana."

The metamorphosis spell dissipates in a cloud of smoke, returning Ursula back to her original form. Mary nearly shrieks in shock. Thankfully, Ursula has the foresight to step forward and cover Mary's mouth before the sound can come out.

"I can explain," Ursula says once Mary seems to have calmed down, "as we're continuing to the kitchen. Do you still need something from there?"

"Ah… I do. Blair isn't feeling so well so I'm getting her some food while Avery went to find some medicine. But um, Professor Ursula? Why are  _you_ going to the kitchen?"

Ursula sighs. "Well… did you know that it's going to be Akko's birthday tomorrow?"

"I… didn't. But what does that have to do with the kitchen and talking to Professor Finneran as Diana?"

"It's all a bit convoluted - when it really shouldn't be - so I'll start from the beginning. A few weeks ago, Diana came to all of us about a plan that she had…"

* * *

Amanda collapses onto Akko's repaired bed. "Oh man, everything's finally fixed."

"Hn, not entirely," Sucy says as she organizes her vials. "We only got our room to look like how it should. The other rooms haven't been fixed at all; only the hallway looks fine. Not to mention I could only recover three hundred fifty-two of Lotte's novels." Sucy sighs. "I don't know if I have the strength to keep up with Lotte's anger."

Amanda looks out the window toward the night sky. "We don't have the time anyway. Fixing the room took long enough that we had to skip dinner." Amanda's stomach rumbles. "Man… those two better have a mean cake ready."

"Might as well give a status report since the room is repaired." Sucy takes out her walkie talkie and presses the side button to speak into it. "Our room is fixed. Constanze is basically taking care of the decorations herself since she doesn't want Amanda and I to ruin things again."

Constanze lifts her goggles up just so she can glare at Amanda and Sucy. Stanbot beeps in agreement as it helps its creator hang up a banner.

The walkie talkie buzzes and Lotte's voice comes through first. "Did you recover all of my  _Night Fall_ books?"

"Most of it. There were a few I couldn't get," Sucy replies.

Even though her voice is as level as ever, Amanda notices the way Sucy's hand grips the walkie talkie just a bit tighter than she should.

A short pause. "Which ones are missing?"

Sucy stalks over to the shelf of books with squinted eyes. "Six, sixty-nine, seventy-two, one hundred one, one hundred fifty-five, two hundred-"

" _ **NOOOOOOO**_!"

"L-Lotte, calm down!" Barbara's voice filters through. "It's okay! It's going to be okay!"

"But those were  _signed_!"

"Don't you know the current author of  _Night Fall_?" Hannah asks. "That's how you got Barbara to meet her two years ago, right? Can't you just buy a new copy and have her sign it again?"

A long pause.

"Oh."

It seems Sucy and Amanda get to live another day.

"A-Anyway, how's the cake and everything?" Amanda finally asks after the awkward silence becomes too much.

"It's  _finally_ done," Hannah groans. "Professor Ursula came in and helped explain the situation to the spirits. They didn't believe me and Jasminka, but I guess having a professor's backing was what we needed."

"We're helping them transport the cake now," Barbara says. "Professor Ursula had to leave to make sure Finneran doesn't go destroy you guys. Then she's going to get ready before bringing Andrew over. So it'll just be us four."

"Kitchen is back to normal and the spirits are happy," Jasminka adds. "Even though many of them lost some pounds. Money, not body weight."

Hannah laughs hysterically. "You can bet I'm buying that Half-Figure Service Meissen porcelain tea set I've always wanted!"

Barbara blinks. She opens her mouth, then snaps it shut. Opens it once more, and snaps it shut again. She takes her finger off of the walkie talkie and leans over to Lotte to whisper in her ear, "Hannah's been raving about that tea set for years. It's said to be one of the finest collections of Meissen porcelain in the world. I think it cost at least six hundred thousand pounds when the current owner bought it."

Lotte snaps out of her stupor to scream, "S- _Six hundred thousand pounds_?"

Jasminka's closed eyes twitch as if she wants to blink. She takes another crunch of her chips and asks Hannah, "How much did you win today?"

Hannah puffs out her chest. "Enough that I can at least take part in the bidding for that fine tea set."

"And you say  _I_ have a strange hobby," Barbara says.

"Hey, I don't read erotic fanfiction in the middle of the night."

"For the  _last time_ -"

"Look, you guys can discuss your weird fetishes another day," Amanda interrupts. "Just get the cake over here so Constanze can stop glaring at us."

"How is buying a great tea set a fetish?!" Hannah yells.

"Seriously, just bring the cake over," Sucy cuts in. "We need the stuff Barbara and Lotte bought too. So the more time you waste, the more work we have to do in a short amount of time."

"We can always tell Diana to stall longer," Barbara says.

"As much as it'd be nice for those two to be gross together alone for as long as possible, Akko's not deaf enough to miss the earpiece if it's just those two alone in your room in silence," Amanda says. "She's dense, but she's not that stupid."

Before Sucy can open her mouth to comment, Lotte says first, "Sucy, be nice. It's going to be Akko's birthday in a few hours."

"Means it's not her birthday yet."

"I'm still mad at you for destroying my  _Night Fall_ collection."

"… Fair enough."

All six walkie talkies switch off. Jasminka and Hannah cast a levitation spell to transport the giant cake that is so large that it dwarfs Hannah. While those two concentrate on keeping the cake safe, Lotte and Barbara use an invisibility spell to hide Jasminka and Hannah. They thank the chefs and leave the kitchen together. Lotte and Barbara take the lead and start up a conversation to keep up appearances and divert any attention from the two invisible people behind them.

Although it is later in the night, there are still a few students and faculty milling around. Lotte and Barbara do their jobs to make sure no one accidentally runs into Jasminka and Hannah as they're keeping the cake afloat.

Thankfully, they don't run into too much trouble getting the cake to the red team's room. If anything, it's their first unhindered success of the day. If it wasn't Akko's birthday they'd at least celebrate this accomplishment.

Lotte knocks once on the door before opening it. She and Barbara let Jasminka and Hannah inside first before entering themselves.

"Got the cake?" Amanda asks.

In response, Lotte and Barbara dispel the invisibility spell. The huge cake takes Amanda aback so much that she starts drooling.

"Hey, Akko won't mind if we start without her, right?"

Hannah slaps Amanda's shoulder when her face gets too close. "Hey, we worked really hard on this. You have no idea how long this took, especially when we had to repair the kitchen first!"

"Our room looks intact at least…" Lotte sighs in relief. "You two made it sound like it was completely destroyed."

Amanda grimaces. "It… kind of was."

"In any case, I guess we should finish the last of the preparations," Barbara says before Lotte can throw another displeased pout at Sucy. "Diana should be coming with Akko in a few minutes just before midnight."

"So hold back your stomach until then!" Hannah says.

Amanda groans. " _You_ guys were lucky to be in a kitchen while you were preparing everything. We haven't had anything to eat in  _hours_."

"Suck it up. You think we had time to have a full meal either?"

"You guys!" Stanbot beeps. The robotic voice, monotone yet loud, pulls everyone's attention to the small robot and its creator.

Constanze squints her eyes and throws a death glare at them all. She gestures to each person and then to every part of the room with a demanding finger. Each jab sends an invisible force through everyone's spines.

"… See? This is what happens when you piss off Constanze," Amanda sighs.

Jasminka shakes her head. "What were you guys doing?"

"Weren't you wrestling?" Sucy asks.

"Get to work!" Stanbot beeps.

* * *

The clock strikes midnight. In the confined dimness of Diana's room, the Cavendish heiress wishes her girlfriend a happy birthday. The plan was supposed to take Akko back to her room just at midnight so the others could surprise her not too long after June 25th begins.

They both get a little… side tracked.

"Aw… why can't I just stay here for the night?" Akko whines as she fixes her uniform. "It's not like Hannah and Barbara are coming back tonight, anyway."

"I am sure your roommates are expecting you back tonight. You did not tell Lotte and Sucy that you would stay with me tonight, did you?"

"Noooo. But I'm sure they understand!"

But that would ruin the plan. After all of her careful planning and the countless unexpected mishaps during this one day alone, Diana cannot allow anything else to go astray. She just hopes these extra few minutes of stalling are enough for the others to finish their preparations.

(It has been a long day for all of us…)

"I will have to leave early in the morning to make my meeting with Aunt Daryl," Diana replies. "I would not want to have you wake up alone after I leave."

"Aw… But I don't mind if I get to spend a few more hours with you."

Diana reaches toward Akko's neck to fix her ribbon. "As much as I would like that as well, we will have plenty of time once I return from the meeting." Once the ribbon is tied, Diana dips down and plants a gentle kiss on Akko's lips. "I promise."

Akko's face flares red. With a resolute nod, she surges forward to give Diana a quick peck on the lips in response. "Fine. But I'm expecting a lot of study time."

Diana quirks an eyebrow. "By study time, I assume you mean cuddles?"

"I was trying to make it sound better. More… productive."

"It was a wonderful attempt." Diana walks to the entrance of the room and opens the door. "Now, we should get going before it gets too late. It has been a long day; we should both rest."

Akko follows Diana out of the room and says, "Can we take the long way? It's my birthday~"

"Have you not seen enough of me already?"

Akko laces their hands together and gives it a quick squeeze. "Nope. Never. I can probably keep staring at you all day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year. You're amazing!"

Diana stares at Akko with wide eyes, trying her best to keep her jaw locked so it doesn't fall off of her face. That leaves speaking out of the question.

Akko continues without noticing Diana's surprise. "I used to stare at the stars a lot to take my mind off of things. But you're way better to look at. When you do something right - which is basically you all the time - you sometimes have this proud smile that shines brighter than the stars themselves!  _And_  I can appreciate you during the day too! It's great!"

"Yes… yes I suppose," Diana manages to respond.

That finally catches Akko's attention. "Did I say something weird? You sound funny."

Diana is glad that it is dark enough to obscure her flushed face. "Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all."

"You know, you've been saying that a lot today. Usually when people say so that often, they're actually  _not_ okay."

"I can assure you that there is nothing bothering me."

(I can only hope that the others have gotten everything in order by now.)

The two continue their walk. As much as Akko pouts, Diana insists that they return to Akko's room as soon as possible. She reasons that she needs to rest as soon as possible to prepare for her duties the next day. Not to mention they have both had long days. In reality, Diana wishes to bring Akko back to her room so the others do not come to the wrong conclusions for her tardiness. She has already stalled long enough.

Therefore, the two arrive in front of Akko's door not long after their short walk. Akko turns to Diana and gives her one last smile.

"Thanks for spending the day with me, Diana. I know you have a lot to do, so I'm happy to get at least some time with you."

"Of course, Akko. You are my most important person. I would never forego you." Diana places a single kiss to Akko's cheek. "Happy birthday, Akko."

Akko blushes. "Heh, that still gets me."

"The kisses?"

"Yeah. Not that they're bad or anything. Sometimes I forget that I'm actually dating… well, you. Or just dating someone at all."

Diana hums pensively. "Three years… We might have only known one another's feelings toward the other for a year, but our relationship has already reached its third year."

"Oh yeah, I remember the first time we met. You were saying some mean stuff about Chariot."

"Only the truth. To be fair, I was more concerned with the strange leaf that your ponytail had turned into."

Akko reaches up to her tied hair. "Oh that? I think Lotte mentioned that Sucy poured something on it during class."

Diana sighs. "Three years and that part of her hasn't changed."

"But a lot of stuff has. Including us!" Akko grins. "Here's to another year! And many more to come!"

Diana matches Akko's enthusiasm with a smile of her own. "Yes. And that means heading to bed." She leans forward and gives Akko one last kiss. "Good night, Akko."

Akko reciprocates. "Night!"

Once they part, Akko opens her door and enters a room of complete darkness. A sense of misplacement stops her from moving any further than a few paces into the room. It doesn't seem like there is anything missing. In fact, Akko can just barely make out Sucy's form on her bed.

"Is there something wrong, Akko?" Diana asks.

In Akko's confusion, she doesn't even notice Diana stepping inside the room and pulling out her wand. Akko  _does_ notice when Diana closes the door and covers the entire room in darkness.

Before Akko can say anything, Diana casts a sound suppression spell and flips the lightswitch to turn the lights on.

"Wha-?"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" numerous voices shout.

Too much happens at once for Akko to focus on. Sucy jolts up in bed like a corpse returning to life. Lotte sits up from her bunk more naturally and pops a confetti cone. She is only one of the girls who wishes her a happy birthday.

The others come into view once an invisibility spell is removed, revealing the decorated room in its entirety. Banners and ribbons line the walls on all sides. A giant cake sits in the center of their room, so large that the actual humans barely have any space to occupy. Amanda herself nearly trips over Stanbot as she pops two confetti cones and blows a birthday whistle. Jasminka throws a few streamers into the air as Ursula comes out from behind with a birthday hat on her head.

Amanda strolls over to Akko and throws an arm around her shoulders. "Geez, I thought you two would never stop flirting. What took you two so long?" Amanda's expression twists into a mischievous smirk directed toward Diana. "Ho ho, I didn't think you had it in you, Diana. Did you already give your present to Akko?"

"Amanda O'Neil!"

Andrew rolls out from under Sucy's bed. "So my assumption was correct?"

Diana is five centimeters away from drawing her wand and turning Andrew into the ass he is. Instead, she only huffs and says, "You are both insufferable."

Akko's too shocked to even blush at the implication. All she can keep muttering out is a small "What…?" even as tears gather in her eyes.

"You really thought everyone wouldn't do something for you?" Barbara says with her hands on her hips. She and Hannah emerge from behind Lotte's bunk with matching party hats.

"At least have faith in Diana!" Hannah says. "Be thankful you have the best girlfriend in the world. She planned all of this!"

Akko whips her head to Diana as much as she can with Amanda around her shoulders. "Really?!"

"For the record, I do have a meeting with Aunt Daryl," Diana replies. "Though, it has been rescheduled to next week."

"Wha- What about everyone else?"

"Excuses. Except Amanda straight up lied," Sucy says.

"Hey! Don't tell me you're still salty about your potions!" Amanda shouts.

Akko cocks her head. "Potions?"

Lotte smiles. "Ahh, never mind all of that. We can talk about all of that  _later_."

Akko gulps.

(Why do I get the feeling that a lot happened that I don't know about?)

Ursula chuckles in understanding, as if reading Akko's mind. "Don't worry too much about that, Akko. It's your birthday after all!"

"Even Professor Ursula too…"

Amanda grins down at Akko. "So, you happy or what, Akko? Your girlfriend planned all this out for you. And you got all of us here crammed into this tiny room."

Hannah scoffs. "If she isn't happy, I'm going to have some choice words with her myself. After all the trouble we went through…"

"Why are you complaining? You have enough money for your unreasonable tea set now," Sucy says.

"It isn't-!"

"Um, I missed a lot today, didn't I?" Akko says.

Diana sighs and walks over to pry Amanda off of Akko's shoulders. "I believe it is best for you to not inquire about the day. Not that I know the exact details myself."

Amanda jumps toward the giant cake in the center of the room. "Alright! Let's get this party going so we can finally  _eat_!"

"Go on, Akko. Make a wish and blow out the candles!" Lotte says.

Akko wipes the tears in her eyes and nods. "Thanks you guys! You're the best!"

Seeing Akko's smiling face, even if it is partially covered in snot, is enough to make them all smile in return. Even Sucy has her lips pulling up just a bit.

Everyone gives Akko her space as she approaches the cake that towers over her. It's large enough that it can hold all nineteen candles with ease. It makes it harder to blow them all out at once, but when does Akko ever turn down a challenge.

"Make a wish, Akko," Ursula encourages.

(What do I want? I want to be a splendid witch. But also…)

Akko looks up and around the room. In terms of the best support for her journey, she already has exactly what she wants. She has a group of friends who she's grown to care and love despite their quirks. She even has a kind mentor who has been there for her since she first arrived at Luna Nova.

There were secrets and challenges, but Akko managed to get through all of that to reach her current place. All of this thanks to her friends.

 _Phasansheer Shearylla_ : 'connect with other people, and your dreams will grow.'

Her eyes linger on Diana. Her girlfriend gives her a supportive nod.

(I already have what I want. So I wish I can keep this! That we can all reach toward happiness together! That's my wish!)

Resolving her birthday wish, Akko takes a deep breath and blows as much of the candles out as she can. She doesn't care if there's too many candles. She just has to blow as hard as she can to get most-

The wall behind them creaks. Slowly but surely, one side of the barely repaired room opens up as the wall falls back and exposes the room. No one moves, too stupefied by the fact that the wall is breaking on its own. A loud  _thud_ reverberates throughout this side of the building once the large structure crashes to the ground.

The moon is rather beautiful tonight. But that isn't exactly what everyone is staring at with gaping mouths. No one has the will to move their legs to check on the damage.

The cold night breeze filters in, blowing out the rest of the candles that Akko missed.

Akko is the first to speak. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhh… Guys, what happened to our room?"

* * *

  **BONUS**

* * *

After an eventful few days, Diana finally has the time to sit down and sort through her work. In particular is another letter from Daryl that her owl had received yesterday. Diana would normally blame her hectic schedule as the reason why she hadn't opened the letter until now. In reality, it's because of the frequent bad experiences she's had whenever she received letters from her aunt.

One of the benefits of revealing her relationship with Akko to her aunt - besides Daryl's extreme reaction of pure disdain - is the cease of any further attempts to set her up with anymore 'handsome, nice young men with great financial stability.' It didn't take long for Diana to realize that the only thing bigger than their pockets were their egos.

Diana puts that thought to the side. Shocking Daryl with the reveal of Akko as her girlfriend is enough to satisfy her internal strife towards her aunt for the next decade or so.

(Is this a followup to the meeting Aunt Daryl spoke of?)

Diana opens the letter with careful precision and reads through the contents. By the time Diana is finished, she surprisingly does not have the usual displeasure that comes from reading one of Daryl's letters to her.

_Diana,_

_The matter I spoke of in our last letter is approaching. While I am the current head of the House of Cavendish, it is prudent for you to attend this gathering as well. Many members of the House of Cavendish will be in attendance. I do not wish for you to tarnish our reputation by your absence. Only I - as well as Maril and Meril - know about your current relationship status._

_I failed to mention it in my last letter, but you are free to bring a guest of your choosing. Only_   _one. It does not matter who you bring. Keep in mind we must do our best to uphold our status as the main branch of the House of Cavendish to the other members._

_The gathering is a week from June 25th. I will see you there._

_Daryl Cavendish_

(In other words, Aunt Daryl wishes to restrict who I bring as my guest but understands she cannot dictate my decisions.)

Diana places the letter down and prepares for bed. The other matters can wait another day. This is enough information to ponder for the night.

After all, Diana has something to ask her girlfriend the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How fitting for Akko's birthday to have so many shenanigans XD I tried to get most of the characters from canon involved. There's just so many of them…
> 
> I realized that both these oneshots don't focus on the birthday girls directly, but rather on the ones who try to plan it. For the first one, it was mostly on Akko. For this one, everyone else. And man was this second one a mess.
> 
> Poor Lotte is so done with everyone's shit. Diana also doesn't appreciate Andrew's sudden new interest in her life since she started dating Akko. He's supposed to be the distant annoying cousin, not the close annoying one!
> 
> Well, happy birthday, Akko! You deserve some happiness :]
> 
> **Fun Fact:**
> 
> The Half-Figure Service Meissen porcelain tea set does in fact exist in real life. It isn't the most expensive tea set in the world, but it's just as expensive as Lotte screamed. It apparently sold for £541,250 on December 5, 2012. That's $872,156 at the time! ~~Apparently the conversion is a little less now, but I'm assuming that's due to currency changes.~~
> 
> Hannah has some expensive hobbies XD


End file.
